Magnetic apparel

ABSTRACT

An apparel is comprised of at least one opening for receiving a user and a means for retaining the apparel about the user. The means for retaining the apparel about the user are separated by a gap in the at least one opening and at least two oppositely polarized magnets are proximal to and separated by the gap.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparel that utilizes magnets to be worn on a user.

BACKGROUND

Apparel uses an array of items to open and close when adorning a particular wearer, including buttons, zippers, Velcro, interlocking tabs, and other mechanical fastening mechanisms.

While apparel utilizes a mechanical fastening mechanism to remain on the user's body, the addition of other mechanical fasteners to those areas not necessary for apparel retention can be cumbersome and restrictive.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a type of apparel that integrates flexibility into current fastening mechanisms to overcome the shortcomings of conventional apparel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention involves apparel with at least one opening for receiving a user, a means for retaining the apparel about a user, and at least two oppositely polarized magnets proximal to and separated by a gap in the at least one opening.

An apparel system, comprising at least one housing for adorning a user; a closure surface for retaining the housing on the user; a receiver surface for receiving the closure surface; and a magnet closure system coupled to the closure surface and the receiver surface.

The present invention also includes using magnets in the fly of a pair of jeans to provide access from and into the inside of the jeans without resort to opening and closing mechanical fastening mechanisms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying, interrelated embodiments exemplified in the following figures and drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a type of apparel found in the art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of a type of apparel found in the art.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary type of magnetic apparel.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary view of cross-section A-A in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary type of magnetic apparel.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. The drawings are non-limiting examples of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention and corresponding parts in the different figures may be interchanged and interrelated to the extent such interrelationship is described or inherent from the disclosures contained herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, a typical apparel 15 may be a pair of pants, jeans, dress shirt, sweaters, jackets, coats, or any other type of apparel known to those skilled in the art which uses mechanical fastening mechanisms to retain itself on a user. While such apparel 15 may preferably be worn on a human being, the typical apparel involved may be worn by any user, including animals such as dogs and cats.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, apparel 15 may be a pair of pants with an input portion 1 for first receiving a user and an output portion 0 where the user may exit the apparel 15 while wearing the apparel 15. According to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, a user may put their legs and waist into jeans 15 at the opening 1 and allow their feet to exit at jean ends 0. While apparel 15 has been illustrated as a pair of pants or jeans, it should be understood that many other types of apparel may have similar operations of use, including dress shirts, jackets, or sweaters.

As shown in FIG. 1, input portion 1 of apparel 15 may have a gap 12 separating a closure portion 3 and a receiver portion 4 which operate to close and/or open the gap 12 in input 1 in apparel 15 while adorning the user. An exemplary closure portion 3 may be a flap holding button holes, buckles, snaps, Velcro, hooks, buttons or other mechanical fastening mechanisms known to those skilled in the art. An exemplary receiver portion 4 may be any complementary means to receive an exemplary closure portion 3, including a flap having complementary button holes, buckles, snaps, Velcro, hooks, buttons or other mechanical fastening mechanisms known to those skilled in the art.

In a preferred embodiment, closure portion 3 may be the flap of pants 15 which may possess a series of buttons in its fabric. According to this preferred embodiment, receiver portion 4 may be an equal number of button holes sized to receive buttons on portion 3 so that when received, the gap 12 in the input portion 1 of pants 15 may be substantially closed.

The part of the apparel 15 most proximal to the receiver portion may be housing 6 while the part of the apparel 15 most proximal to the closure portion 3 may be housing 5. The part of apparel 15 where the housing 6 and housing 5 may overlap is connection point 7. In an exemplary embodiment, connection point 7 is proximal to the gap 12 separating closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4. In an alternative embodiment, the gap 12 between closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4 may reside above the connection 7. In a preferred embodiment, connection point 7 may be the crotch region of a pair of jeans 15 located below the gap 12 formed between jean fly 3/4.

With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 2, an exemplary apparel 15, may have an input portion 1 and an inside 2. Housings 5 and 6 may join at an exemplary connection 7 proximal to closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4, both of which are separated by a gap 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, closure portion 3 may have different closure areas. An exemplary closure portion 3 may have a peripheral closure area 3 a, such as, for example, a zipper. Alternatively, an exemplary closure portion 3 may have a facial closure area 3 b, such as, for example, a series of buttons, button holes, buckles, interlocking elements for sliding fasteners, or Velcro. The complementary receiving portion 4 may similarly have peripheral receiving areas 4 a, such as, for example, a zipper. Alternatively, an exemplary receiving area 4 may have a complementary receiver facial area 4 b for an exemplary form of facial closure area 3 b.

Fastening mechanisms in either of closure areas 3 a/b or receiving areas 4 a/b may be coupled to apparel 15 via fabric stitching, rivets, adhesives, epoxies, lamination, chemical bonding, mechanical reception points (such as the tracks used in zippers), or any other apparel fastening mechanism coupling means known to those skilled in the art.

While closure areas 3 a/b may only close apparel 15 with a complementary receiver area 4 a/b, it may be that a closure area 3 a may be received by a complementary receiver area 4 b, such as for example, a peripheral zipper 3 a being received by an embedded zipper in area 4 b. Alternatively, closure portion 3 in either area 3 a or 3 b may be received by a combination of receiving portions 4 a/b, such as, for example, a peripheral series of buttons 3 a may be received by a peripheral button holes 4 a while embedded zipper 3 b may be received by embedded zipper 4 b. Thus, numerous permutations and combinations of potential coupling mechanisms may be achieved using closure areas and faces and receiving areas and faces, 3 a/b and 4 a/b, respectively.

Referring to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may utilize one or more magnets 8 and one or more oppositely polarized magnets 9 on or within closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4, respectively. By oppositely polarized, it is intended that if magnet 8 has a polarity, then magnet 9 would have an opposite polarity so that it would be attracted to and remain substantially coupled to magnet 8.

In an exemplary embodiment, magnets 8/9 may be coupled to the closure areas 3 a/b and receiving areas 4 a/b using adhesives, stitching, rivets, or any other mechanical fastening mechanisms known to those skilled in the art and in any combination of ways as described above with relation to FIG. 2 and closure areas 3 a/b and receiving areas 4 a/b. For example, a magnet 8 on closure area 3 b may be held in place to the magnetic apparel 16 like metal buttons of jeans using a rivet, glue, or stitching. Alternatively, magnet 8 may be machined to appear or formed like a button with holes through its central portions to allow sewing magnet 8 to apparel 16 like any other type of button. The same or similar coupling mechanisms of magnets 9 may also be made in an exemplary magnetic apparel 16.

Exemplary magnets 8/9 may be of any suitable size and shape to be used for closing an exemplary magnetic apparel 16. In a preferred embodiment, exemplary magnets 8/9 may be the type offered and sold by K&J Magnetics, Inc. of Pipersville, Pa. Such exemplary magnets 8/9 may be between approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 1.25 inches in diameter and be between approximately 0.025 inches and approximately 0.1 inches thick.

Exemplary magnets 8/9 may be made of magnetic materials known to those skilled in the art, in particular, neodymium (NdFeB) or NdFeB, grade N38. While the poles of magnetization of the magnets may be axial or radial, the magnetization may be axial according to a preferred embodiment.

The pull force rating of an exemplary magnet 8/9 should be high enough to withstand pull forces encountered in the activities of the user, and may be made stronger if the use requires more rigorous movements and stresses on the apparel. In a preferred embodiment, the pull force of an exemplary magnet 8/9 may be approximately 3.00 lbs. through any overlaying fabric or other coating.

It is also preferable to have magnets 8/9 to be capable of operating at warm temperatures. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, magnets 8/9 may be operated at temperatures between about 176° F. (80° C.) and about 210° F. (98.9° C.). The residual induction or residual flux density for an exemplary magnet 8/9 may be about 12,600 Gauss and may have a maximum energy in its magnetic field of approximately 38 MGOe.

In another exemplary embodiment, magnets 8/9 may be covered by additional material such as additional metals, fabrics, plastics, or other materials to aid in its coupling to apparel 16 and to prevent against stresses incurred during washing and other uses. According to a preferred embodiment, a plastic coating may be utilized to prevent moisture about magnets 8/9. An exemplary plastic coated magnet may be the SWP-S “Small (½″ dia.) Sewing Magnet with Plastic Cover Grade N38-Nickel Plated offered by K&J Magnetics, Inc.

An exemplary magnetic apparel may preferably be washed with any materials and with at any conventional temperatures known and used in the art. In a preferred embodiment, magnetic apparel may be washed in cold water with limited amount of heating to preserve the integrity of the magnetic material. Alternatively, an exemplary magnetic apparel may be dry cleaned or otherwise handled to avoid temperatures that may compromise the magnetics.

In another exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, an exemplary magnet 8 may be embedded within closure portion 3 in an interior surface 3 c. Such embedded magnets 8 may be coupled to magnetic apparel 16 on the embedded portion by any of the aforementioned means for coupling other mechanical fasteners known to those skilled in the art.

Alternatively, magnets 8 may not be coupled to magnetic apparel 16 within embedded surface 3 c but may be substantially held in place by the coupling of embedded surface 3 c to closure 3's surfaces, for example, by sewing around magnet 8 while sandwiched between surfaces 3 c and 3, magnet 8 may be kept in a substantially static location. Similar or the same sort of coupling techniques and mechanisms may be applied for magnet 9 within embedded surface 4 c of receiving portion 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may have an exemplary mechanical fastener in closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4 to retain apparel 16 about the user. For the remaining portions of apparel 16 that do not need to be fastened to retain apparel 16 about the user, the remainder of the coupling of the closure portions 3 and receiver portions 4 across gap 12 may comprise only magnets 8/9. According to this exemplary embodiment, only the most necessary mechanical fasteners would be utilized in apparel 16 with the function only to retain apparel 16 on the user. Accordingly, magnets 8/9, according to this exemplary embodiment, would be necessary to fully close gap 12 of apparel 16.

In a preferred embodiment, a pair of jeans 16 may have a top button 3 b and top button hole 4 b at the upper-most portion of the opening for jeans 16. According to this preferred embodiment, no other mechanical fasteners are used. In this preferred embodiment, below each of the button 3 b and button hole 4 b, may be a series of magnets 8 and 9, respectively. As such, the gap 12 in jeans 16, typically called the “fly” may only be opened and closed using magnets 8/9 rather than by using a zipper or additional buttons/button holes. In this way, jeans 16 allow a user to easily open and close gap 12 in jeans 16 without needing to mechanically decouple jeans 16 and without having to relinquish retention of jeans 16 about the user's waist.

With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may be shown. As illustrated, an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may be viewed from the side closest to housing 6. Opening 1 may be shown with receiving portion 4 covering the view of the inside 2 of housing 5 (not shown). Gap 12 separates closure portion 3 from receiving portion 4 except for those parts of the closure portion 3 and receiving portion 4 that are coupled by a combination of mechanical fastening means and a magnetic system. For example, receiving portion 4 may hold a button 13 on receiving portion surface area 4 b by a rivet 14. Closure portion 3 couples to the button 13 of receiving portion 4 via button hole 17 going through the cross-section of closure portion 3.

Distally below button 13 and button hole 17 may be a plurality of magnets 8 and 9 disposed within or on closure portion 3 and receiving portion 4. According to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, closure portion 3 may have a closure contour 18 resulting from the placement of a series of magnets 8 within an embedded surface 3 c. While an exemplary series of magnets may be shown as being embedded in surface 3 c, these magnets may be embedded in surface 3B. Alternatively, magnets 8 may be embedded between surfaces 3 b and 3 c by being stitched in place, heat bonded to the surfaces on either side of the magnetic surfaces, or otherwise coupled thereto by mechanical, chemical, or other fabric manufacturing means known to those skilled in the art.

An exemplary embedded magnet series embedded in the surface of near gap 12 may be illustrated by magnets 9 being embedded with receiving surface 4 c. Like contour 18, contour 19 may result from the magnetic attraction of magnets in the series of magnets 8 and 9. Magnets 8 may be larger or stronger than magnets 9 and vice-versa depending on the application. When magnets 8 and 9 magnetically coupled in an exemplary closed apparel 16 configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 4, an apparel that previously was retained about a user via mechanical coupling means 13 and 17 may substantially close any remaining gap 12 in apparel 16.

With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 5, an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may have oppositely polarized magnetic strips 10 and 11 located on or within closure portion 3 and receiver portion 4, respectively. Magnet strips 10 and 11 may be of the same or similar material composition as magnets 8/9. Additionally, magnet strips 10 and 11 may be used in conjunction with magnets 8/9 or may alternatively be used in place of one of magnets 8/9, for example, magnets 8 may be on one side 5 of opening 12 while magnet strip 11 lay on the other side 6 of opening 12. An exemplary magnetic strip may be of the type sold by the BT Group Amazon Store, located at http://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Magnetics-Adhesive-Magnetic-Strip-1/dp/B00114LU8K. Like magnets 8/9, magnet strips 10 and 11 may similarly operate to reduce opening and closing times of apparel 16 while being worn by the user.

In a preferred embodiment of manufacturing an exemplary magnetic apparel, the first step involves removal of any current closure mechanisms of an apparel, such as, for example, removal of factory supplied buttons. The second step in the preferred embodiment involves sizing a piece of fabric to fit each side of the apparel opening, such as, for example, the fly of a pair of jeans. According to this step of the preferred embodiment, the multiple pieces of fabric preferably are slightly larger than double the measurement for enough fabric to fold over and enclose the intended pair or pairs of magnets. The third step in the preferred embodiment includes sewing negative magnets down one side of the fabric. The fourth step in the preferred embodiment involves folding the fabric over the negative magnets and sewing the fabric to the bottom piece of fabric to which the negative magnets were previously sewn. The fifth step in the preferred embodiment is to repeat the first through fourth steps for each of the positive magnets. In an sixth step in the preferred embodiment, the enclosed magnet pouches may be sewn to each side of the apparel opening, for example, each side of the fly of a pair of jeans.

Exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may be used in any type of apparel, but may preferably be incorporated into apparel that may be worn by users who require ease of access through or ease of removal of said apparel, such as young children, infirm or disabled individuals, and/or elders. In an exemplary embodiment, magnetic apparel 16 may be used for coats for young children and elderly individuals. For other users with limited degrees of movement, such as those who are bed ridden, hospitalized or in need of quick access to a part of the body, for example, during an operation, an exemplary magnetic apparel 16 may be especially suitable to clothe or unclothe the user without disruption.

While the devices, methods, and systems may be described by way of example embodiments, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the scope and spirit of the system and method in their broader aspects. These disclosures should be understood to involve interrelationships between the various structures, materials, and embodiments, and it is understood that such interrelationships are not limited to the particulars disclosed. 

I claim:
 1. An apparel, comprising: at least one opening for receiving a user; a means for retaining the apparel about a user, wherein the means for retaining are separated by a gap in the at least one opening; and at least two oppositely polarized magnets proximal to and separated by the gap.
 2. The apparel of claim 1, further comprising at least two openings.
 3. The apparel of claim 2, wherein the apparel is a pair of jeans.
 4. The apparel of claim 3, wherein the means for retaining is a button and complementary button hole.
 5. The apparel of claim 4, wherein the button and button hole are more proximal to the opening than the at least two oppositely polarized magnets.
 6. The apparel of claim 1, wherein the at least two oppositely polarized magnets are substantially circular.
 7. The apparel of claim 1, wherein the at least two oppositely polarized magnets are substantially elongated and flat.
 8. The apparel of claim 1, wherein the at least two oppositely polarized magnets further comprise at least two series of oppositely polarized magnets.
 9. The apparel of claim 8, wherein the at least two series of oppositely polarized magnets are substantially circular.
 10. The apparel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two oppositely polarized magnets is embedded in the apparel.
 11. The apparel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two oppositely polarized magnets is coupled on an outer surface of the apparel.
 12. An apparel system, comprising: at least one housing for adorning a user; a closure surface for retaining the housing on the user; a receiver surface for receiving the closure surface; and a magnet closure system coupled to the closure surface and the receiver surface.
 13. The apparel system of claim 12, wherein the at least one housing is one of a shirt sleeve or a pant leg.
 14. The apparel system of claim 13, wherein the at least one housing is a pair of pants.
 15. The apparel system of claim 14, wherein the magnet closure system comprises at least two oppositely polarized magnets separated from one another.
 16. The apparel system of claim 15, wherein the at least two oppositely polarized magnets are divided between the closure surface and the receiver surface.
 17. The apparel system of claim 16, wherein the at least two oppositely polarized magnets are a series of magnets.
 18. The apparel system of claim 12, wherein the closure surface and receiver make up the fly of the apparel.
 19. The apparel system of claim 18, wherein the magnet closure system comprises at least two oppositely polarized magnets separated from one another by the fly.
 20. The apparel system of claim 19, wherein the closure surface and the receiver have mechanical closing means above the magnet closure system. 